The governing body of the renowned golf destination, St Andrews, known as the ‘St Andrews Links Trust,’ has recently introduced a significant alteration to the long-standing daily singles line-up tradition.
Traditionally, golfers vying for a coveted tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews had to endure the physical queuing process, often regarded as a revered tradition in the golfing community. However, in a bid to modernize and streamline the process, the St Andrews Links Trust has unveiled the Singles Daily Draw, an innovative digital solution accessible through their website.
Securing a tee-time on the Old Course has historically been a challenge owing to the course’s illustrious history dating back over 600 years and its status as a revered pilgrimage site for golf enthusiasts worldwide. With the surge in global travel over the past few decades, demand for tee times has skyrocketed. To address this issue, the Links Trust established a network of ‘Official Providers of St Andrews Links Old Course,’ primarily catering to local Scottish operators. Additionally, golfers had the option to participate in a ballot system or queue in the early hours each day for any last-minute cancellations.
However, these methods did not guarantee a tee-time and often posed challenges for travellers with prearranged itineraries. In response, the St Andrews Links Trust has implemented a new procedure, discontinuing the physical queuing system in favour of a digital draw. Under the updated system, players are required to visit either the Old Pavilion adjacent to the first tee of The Old Course or the St Andrews Links Clubhouse between 09:00 and 17:00 on the day before their desired play date. Successful participants will be notified of their tee-time via email or phone.
The St Andrews Links Trust owns seven golf courses in and around the town of St Andrews. These are the Old Course, The New Course, Jubilee, Eden, Balgove, Strathtyrum and Castle courses. This digital solution eliminates the need for golfers to wait in lengthy queues, offering a fair and efficient allocation process. Key details of the new system include a one-entry limit per individual per day, a maximum handicap allowance of 36 for both men and women, and the requirement to provide a photo for identification purposes.
Furthermore, golfers must accept their tee-time offer within a specified timeframe, failure to do so resulting in the offer being passed to the next person on the waiting list. It’s worth noting that this digital draw system necessitates physical presence in St Andrews the day before play, removing the need for early arrival on the day of play. As such, it resembles more of a digital lottery than the previous physical queuing system. Additionally, the ballot system remains in place, allowing golfers to sign up in advance, with the draw occurring two days before play.
Given the ever-increasing demand for Old Course tee times, driven by the surge in global golf participation and ongoing travel trends following the Covid-19 pandemic, the introduction of this digital solution marks a significant step forward in ensuring fair access for all golfers.
